MLB Player News
-
Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Cranks 14th homer
Turner went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run to help the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Giants on Friday.
The 33-year-old's fifth-inning blast off Madison Bumgarner turned out to be the decisive blow in this contest, bringing his homer total up to 14 on the season. Turner has been limited to 354 at-bats due to injury in 2018, but he's put up fabulous numbers in the time he's been on the field, as he's boasting an elite .316/.409/.525 slash line.
-
Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Cardinals' Marcell Ozuna: Delivers 88th RBI
Ozuna went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs.
Ozuna plated a run in the sixth inning on a single to left field, but the Cubs would ultimately take the series opener 8-4. The 27-year-old has gone 10-for-37 with two extra-base hits and five RBI over his previous 10 games, and he'll need to step up during the final two games of the regular season if the Cardinals have a chance to make the wild-card game.
-
Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Not in Friday's lineup
Pederson is out of Friday's starting nine versus San Francisco, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group reports.
Pederson will retreat to a spot on the pine with left-hander Madison Bumgarner pitching for the Giants. Manager Dave Roberts will trot out an outfield of Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Matt Kemp.
-
Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: In Friday's lineup
Turner (thumb) will man third base and bat second against the Giants on Friday, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group reports.
Turner won't miss any time after suffering a minor thumb injury during Wednesday's loss to Arizona. Dating back to Sept. 9, Turner has slashed a robust .371/.459/.565 with 10 extra-base hits and eight RBI.
-
Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Dealing with sore left thumb
Turner required an X-ray on his left thumb following the Dodgers' 7-2 loss Wednesday to the Diamondbacks, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports. Though X-rays returned negative, manager Dave Roberts said the third baseman is "a little sore."
Turner, who went 1-for-4 at the plate in the loss, hurt the thumb when he fielded a hard-hit ball off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth inning. Considering X-rays revealed no structural damage and Turner was able to shake off the injury and stay in the game, it doesn't look to be a major concern. He seems in little jeopardy of sitting out the Dodgers' three-game series in San Francisco to close out the season, especially with the team in a tight battle for both the NL West title and a wild-card spot.
-
Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Cardinals' Marcell Ozuna: Another stellar hitting night
Ozuna went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run in a loss to the Brewers on Tuesday.
Ozuna has now hit safely in eight of the last nine games, and Tuesday's perfect night at the plate pushed his September average to .310. The outfielder has racked up 18 RBI during the month as well, and he's seemingly hit his stride at the plate as the regular season winds down.
-
Franmil Reyes DH | WAS
Padres' Franmil Reyes: Reaches base four times
Reyes went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, an RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's extra-innings loss to the Giants.
Reyes came through with a game-tying single with one out in the ninth inning, but the Padres would eventually drop this one in 12 innings. The 23-year-old has had a productive rookie campaign and is ending the season strong with 13 RBI and a .355/.410/.500 line in the final month.
-
Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: Two-hit game with two runs scored
Blackmon went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Phillies.
Blackmon hit an RBI double -- his 29th two-bagger of the year -- off starter Vince Velasquez in the fourth inning, and has now recorded a hit in all but two games in the month of September. Blackmon is hitting .364 with four homers, 10 RBI and 18 runs in 23 games over that span. The 32-year-old leads the NL with 114 runs scored this season, and he's once again put up a hearty slash line of .289/.358/.492 with 27 homers and 66 RBI.
-
Bryce Harper 1B | PHI
Nationals' Bryce Harper: Hits century mark in RBI
Harper went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's win over the Marlins.
That gives the 25-year-old 100 RBI on the season, the first time he's reached that mark in his career in what seems like his last season as a Nat. Harper's .245 batting average on the year is disappointing, but he's already set a new career high with 126 walks, and he's one run shy of 100 for the season to go along with 34 homers and 12 steals.
-
Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Cardinals' Marcell Ozuna: Leaves yard in loss
Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Brewers on Monday.
Ozuna gave the Cardinals a temporary 4-3 lead via his 414-foot shot to center with Paul DeJong aboard in the sixth. The slugging outfielder has now gone deep on seven occasions in September, easily his best figure in a full month this season. Ozuna's struggles with the long ball earlier in 2018 appear to have primarily been a result of his shoulder impingement, as the aforementioned power surge has come subsequent to a stint on the disabled list to address the issue.